CAN DART HIT THE MARK?

By Graham Potter | Friday, October 7, 2016

The news that HRO broke first earlier this week has now finally been officially confirmed with a media release from QRIC which reads in part ...

‘After a rigorous selection process, the new Director of Stewarding and Licencing for the Queensland Racing Integrity Commission (QRIC) has been appointed.

‘Jamie Dart – who was been acting in the role for over 12 months – was announced as the successful candidate on Wednesday.

‘The appointment followed a merit-based selection process by a panel including QRIC Commissioner Ross Barnett, Racing Victoria Chief Steward Terry Bailey, and former Racing Integrity Advisor and head of the Greyhound Task Force Detective Superintendent Mark Ainsworth.

‘The position attracted a significant number of internal, local and interstate applicants.

‘Commissioner Ross Barnett said that Mr Dart’s appointment was well deserved.’

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The merit of this decision will be debated long and hard by racing’s stakeholders.

Without casting aspersions on Dart’s capabilities it would be fair to say that he was a surprise choice for the role when he took it over on an interim basis back in September 2015.

That was in the midst of the devastation that existed following the ‘sacking of the racing boards’ fallout in the wake of the greyhound baiting scandal. Dart was previously the Chief Greyhound Racing Steward.

Interestingly, at that time, according to comments attributed to Ian Hall, the then acting CEO of Racing Queensland, Dart ‘was endorsed to the acting role by Detective Superintendent Mark Ainsworth who has been acting in the role and worked with Mr Dart through the Queensland Greyhound Taskforce.’

This is the same Ainsworth who was on the latest selection process panel.

Twelve months on and it is fair to say that Dart is again a surprise selection for the post of Director of Stewarding and Licencing.

Whether that is because those who believed he should not be there in the first place simply expected him to be bypassed this time around or whether some were looking for a bold new dawn with a complete changing of the guard is no longer of consequence.

Dart now holds the reins as a confirmed full time appointment, not in an interim capacity.

What he does next is important.

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Stakeholders certainly want to see positive change under the overall new Racing Queensland and QRIC Management team. For that to happen there has to be a change of gears and a change of direction.

As far as how that might apply to Dart particularly as the Director of Stewarding, John Schreck said it best in his blog ‘From the Sheriff’s Desk’ on HRO earlier this week (before Dart’s appointment).

Schreck stated: ‘People have to perceive that the sport is being managed properly from an integrity point of view and that doesn’t necessarily mean rubbing people out all of the time. It is much better for stewards to have co-operation from participants than confrontation ... much, much better.

‘If the person they appoint at QRIC can encourage the participants to cooperate with authorities that is better than getting someone in there who is going to blow the sport up.

There is need, of course, when someone pops their head up and does something stupid, it has to be lopped off ... but the appointment of this particular person and their philosophy is going to have a huge impact on the sport moving forward.

‘The bottom line is that the Director of Stewarding can be one of critical influence so, when appointed, it will be very interesting to see what that person brings to the party!’

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And therein lies the rub of the matter.

Part of Dart’s mission in the important interplay between officialdom and stakeholders must be to shrug off the negative’s and work towards ‘returning a positive’ (if you will excuse the pun) outcome.

He now has the freedom to do that ... to make a difference ... while holding a secure position.

It’s over to him.